Holy water cannot help you now, I've come to burn your kingdom down
by Redonkgirl99
Summary: Wanda's point of view for To die as lovers may- to die together, so that they may live together.


Fear was a sentiment Wanda was well acquainted with.

Fear of the past.

Fear of the future.

Fear of herself.

.

Her earliest memory was when she was six.

It was mostly fuzzy, and Wanda was no longer certain which bits were real and which were dreamed.

But, she was certain of the moment when she'd felt a childish jolt of surprise, swiftly followed by unhappy confusion.

She shared a look with her brother, both of them not quite grasping what was going on.

The memory ended there, but, she knew from the story her parents told, that she and Pietro went and asked them what was going on, and once they understood themselves, they explained.

And then they had a special dinner; celebrating Pietro's and Wanda's soulmate's birth.

Again, she was certain of one other moment, as if it had stuck just to mock her.

Her mother had smiled, squeezing her hand, and said.

"I can't wait until the birthday that they're here celebrating with us."

.

In the apartment she grew up in, there was on bedroom with two beds; one her parents shared and one she shared with Pietro.

The beds were placed on opposite ends of the room, mainly for space, but, it allowed the twins to whisper to each other, their voices being drowned out for anyone else by the constant movement in the complex.

It was in that bed that Wanda, age eight, admitted it.

"I think it'll be a girl."

She'd said in a hurried tone, worried at her brother's reaction.

It was hard to make out in the dark, but Wanda could see Pietro's smile, before he cuddled up to her.

"I hope she's pretty, then."

.

Wanda couldn't tell if the reason she was having trouble breathing was her fear or if they were actually running out of air.

Maybe that would be for the best, she thought before the rubble shifted again, freezing her and Pietro.

Once it was clear it wouldn't go off in this moment, Wanda finished her own thought.

Maybe that would be for the best; it would be better than the shell going off. They would be the only ones to go this way.

.

It was hard to tell if Fate had spared them out of mercy or out of malevolence.

But, it didn't matter.

Because, now the Maximoff twins had a mission.

.

Time passed and Wanda could feel her emotions develop, feel her grow older, could feel her sadness.

When it first started, it was dread, but, her feelings would soon become grief; she was _missing_ someone.

"We will make her happy," Pietro promised her, rubbing her arms to warm her up as they huddled together with a few other homeless teens under an overpass.

"And she will make us happy," Wanda agreed, nestling into her brother's side.

.

They matured; they understood that to fulfill their mission, they would need help.

They joined activist groups that shared their detestation.

So many had been affected by the attack, so many wanted revenge.

But, no matter how much the Maximoffs were around them, they didn't make friends; there would come a point where they wouldn't be able to help them get their revenge anymore, and they didn't want any extraneous emotional ties.

Besides, Wanda didn't need them.

She had Pietro.

And she had _her_.

She needed nothing else.

.

While a quest for justice is admirable, they still needed to eat.

Pietro got a job as a construction worker; building more estates for the elite while the slums continued to swell.

Wanda, meanwhile, began working at a café in the prosperous area.

She wasn't an idiot, though, she knew she'd gotten the job because of her appearance, and she saw the sickening gazes that followed her.

The pay was good, though, and she got tips, so she neglected to mention all this Pietro.

.

It had taken much work and saving, but _finally_ , they had enough for an apartment.

It was small; only one room and a bathroom, and the complex was so overfilled, it was never quiet.

But, it was a place to sleep and it had running water most of the time, so they didn't complain.

.

It was a few months after they celebrated their twentieth birthdays.

It'd been the end of a long day, and the twins were preparing for bed, when they felt _her_ feelings spill over to them.

It had started with fear.

Then utter confusion.

And then…

It snapped.

Wanda didn't realize she was screaming until the other tenants came running to see what was wrong.

She was _gone_.

She was…

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.

Wanda felt nothing.

She knew she should feel hungry, but she wasn't.

She knew she should feel thirsty, but she wasn't.

She knew she should feel tired, but she wasn't.

She knew that if she didn't get something to drink soon, she'd die of dehydration.

She shifted slightly so her head was on Pietro's chest.

This was as good way as any.

.

It was mid-third day, and Wanda was getting slightly impatient for it.

She was ready, why wasn't her body?

Then, there was a _flash,_ making both Maximoffs jump out of their stupor.

And a jolt of confusion.

Their marks were _back_.

.

It was settled then, really.

Humans could die so easily.

 _She_ could die so easily.

With a part of their soul so vulnerable, they needed something more powerful than they could ever be.

Wanda knew what they were now was inadequate; they couldn't keep their love safe, not from what had rained down on New York like hellfire.

And not from those that forced them back into the sky.

They would have to change.

They would have to evolve.

.

It'd been because of a missing activist.

Wanda had liked her; she had been just as harmed as they had been, and she held the same rage inside of her.

She'd gone missing.

This wasn't anything new; the elite would often have protestors thrown into a dark cell that they would never again emerge from, but…

She'd been the closest thing to a friend the twins had ever had.

So they investigated a little.

And they met Baron Von Strucker.

.

"We will very likely die."

Wanda studied her brother's face, to see if he truly didn't want to do this.

She could see it in his eyes; he wanted to.

"We will not die."

"Everyone else did, Sister."

"They don't have what we have, Brother."

"What would that be?"

"Each other."

.

Wanda learned how perfectly woven together fear and agony could be.

During every experiment she found herself wondering if she would make it.

The answer was that she could die right at that second, if she let herself.

It was tempting sometimes; no more pain, no more sadness, she'd be with her mother and father again.

But, she couldn't give in, not yet.

She couldn't leave Pietro.

She couldn't leave _her_.

.

Afterwards, every time, she felt _deep_ love flowing through the bond to her; her lover doing her very best to cheer her up.

She always did her best to respond in kind.

.

Sometimes, what was worse was when she saw Pietro being escorted to the laboratory.

Would he make it through this one?

No matter for what reason, he always did.

.

It wasn't a very clear memory.

When they finally worked.

She did know it happened to her first.

And she thought she died.

There'd been an explosion; red light destroying everything in its path.

Only later would she learn that red light had come from _her_.

.

It burned her.

The energy under her skin _burned._

Not _always_ , of course, usually it was just warm.

But, the longer she held it in, the more it heated up, and she _had_ to let it out.

They'd given her blocks to her to practice on, but that was not enough to keep it under control _forever._

.

She'd never felt fear quite like when she saw her brother being rolled on a gurney.

"He is not dead," Von Strucker informed her, making her sigh in relief "The experiment worked, but we had to sedate him."

"What happened?"

"It was _different_ from yours."

.

Wanda felt sympathy for her brother as she heard him crash into the wall of his cell again; he was having trouble moving normally.

But, she knew her brother, he would manage it somehow.

.

The dreams…

There was _nothing_ to describe them.

She'd been given the rare privilege of seeing her, if only to forget her appearance.

Any sliver of doubt she'd harbored about her lover was now gone.

She was _perfect_.

.

There was an ugly type of excitement inside of her at this moment.

"They are the Avengers."

 _Finally_.

.

She was good at being quiet.

She was able to sneak up Captain America.

She was _very_ good.

.

It was _him_.

 _Stark_.

For a moment, she toyed with the idea of killing him right there, but, it would be much more satisfying to play with his mind a bit.

Such _delicious_ fear.

But, more importantly, she could see it.

She could see that if she let him take the scepter now…

He would destroy _himself_ and _everybody_ he loved.

There was no question.

.

It was strange to return to the city of their youth, now so entirely different people.

They laid low for a few days; Wanda knew what she was doing.

.

In an abandoned church, she found Stark's destruction.

She couldn't see his mind.

But, as it turned out, he had none to look in.

This was she needed.

To end the Avengers.

And to bring them what was theirs.

.

Klaue was the type of man Wanda hated.

She was almost hoping she would show him his fears.

But, Ultron arrived.

And then the Avengers.

She and Pietro separated during the fight.

But, then, he was by her side with wide eyes as she played with Romanov's mind.

"What is it?"

"There's a girl here, she came with the Avengers."

"Do you need me to take care of her?" She asked; wondering what had made her brother like this.

"No!" Pietro said "She's _ours_."

 _Theirs_.

" _What?"_

"You were right; she's _perfection_." Pietro beamed at her and Wanda felt a slight bout of jealousy; she needed to see her for herself.

"What did you say to her?"

"… I didn't… I ran away."

Wanda said something that had Pietro giving her a look.

"Take me to her."

.

She had her back to her when they arrived, but she saw Pietro.

"Oh, you again."

Her _voice_.

Wanda needed to see her face.

"Both of us, My Love."

The girl whipped around and Wanda felt all the breath be knocked out of her body.

She was _beautiful_.

Perfection in every sense of the word.

"What did you say?"

Wanda could have collapsed; finally, after _twenty-three years_ , she got to hear those words uttered by _her_.

"Exactly what you think she said, Pretty Girl."

She whipped back around towards Pietro, obviously somewhat afraid.

And she shoved him, making him fly back _quite_ a bit.

Wanda jumped forward, just brushing her mind to put her to sleep, gently lying her down.

"Are you alright?" She asked Pietro, who'd stumbled to his feet.

"She can hit _hard_."

But, Wanda couldn't bring herself to be worried; she just smiled at Pietro, who returned it.

"Keep an eye on her. I will take care of the others."

.

"She's _Maria Stark_ as in the kid of the guy you two are trying to kill."

 _How?_

How could such excellence come from him?

 _How could they protect her from him?_

.

Pietro placed her gently on a hospital bed in Dr. Cho's facility, brushing the stray hairs away before they were ushered out by Dr. Cho, who was going to check her over for injuries.

Once they were allowed back in, they found that Maria Stark Maximoff was undressed under a thin sheet.

Wanda felt herself begin to feel sick as she studied the large scar that covered the majority of her chest.

"We will find out who did that," Pietro said, reading her thoughts and letting the rest go unsaid.

Wanda slowly approached her sleeping form, placing her hands on the side of the bed and shutting her eyes, her head cocking as she looked.

And then she almost collapsed.

Pietro ran to her side and caught her.

"What is it?"

Wanda gave loud open mouth gasps, pushing Pietro away and brushing the hair out of Maria's face.

"Her mind."

"What is it? What's wrong?" Pietro asked, obviously frightened.

"Nothing; it's _beautiful_."

So much sadness, so much hurt, but somehow loving and kind and _beautiful_.

Wanda could live entirely inside of Maria's mind if she could.

.

They waited for her to naturally wake up.

When she did, she looked about in confusion, before she looked at them with something akin to fear.

Wanda felt sick.

"Where am I?"

Her voice was hoarser now.

"Doctor Cho's facility," She'd replied, taking a few steps towards her "Would you like some water?"

She nodded and took the water slowly, obviously a little suspicious.

"W-Where…" Maria's voice trembled before she cleared her throat "Where are my clothes?"

 _Oh_ ,

She thought that they…

"Doctor Cho took them off to check you over," Pietro reassured, Wanda wanting to go and to pull Maria into her arms "Would you like them back?"

Maria nodded and took the clothing.

It was quiet for a moment.

"Could you _leave_?"

She didn't want to leave her.

But, she needed to get dressed.

"We'll be right outside," Wanda promised.

Wanda paced outside of the room as Maria changed, impatient for her to call them back inside.

After a few minutes, she called them back in.

They reentered and it was quiet as Maria looked over them, before Wanda spoke.

"I suppose we should introduce ourselves; I'm Wanda Maximoff."

"And I'm Pietro."

"Maria. My name's Maria," She said quietly "Can I see your marks?"

Wanda slid her glove off, allowing Maria to see her handwriting on her wrist.

Maria reached out to flip Pietro's hand, Pietro squeezing her hand softly, making her blush and Wanda to feel slightly jealous; she wanted to make her cheeks redden so lovely.

"May we see yours?" Wanda asked, Maria rolling her sleeve up.

Oh,

A smile grew across Wanda's face.

 _Finally._

"Yes, that's ours."

"… If you don't mind us asking, what is the scar on your chest?"

Wanda stilled, ready to hear who thought they were worthy to even _look_ at Maria, let alone harm her.

Ready to hear who'd tried to steal her lover away.

Ready to hear who would be seeing their deepest and darkest fears before she tore out their heart.

Just like how they tore out hers.

"Tell you what; I'll tell you that story, but in return, I want you to tell _me_ a story."

"Which one?" Wanda asked.

"The story behind why you want the Avengers dead."

She was there with them.

Wanda exchanged a look with her twin; they would make her understand. At the end of it, she would understand, she would side with them.

Wanda nodded and Pietro spoke.

"Fair, you go first."

"Right before the Battle of New York, Loki wanted to use me as leverage. But once he realized I couldn't be controlled, he stabbed me."

"And then what?" Pietro asked.

"I died."

Loki would _pay_.

"I was dead for a while, but Fury had a serum that brought me back."

"… You were dead for three days," Wanda managed to get out, feeling the energy begin to heat up due to her anger "Our marks; they…"

"… I'm sorry," Maria said softly, making Wanda even angrier; she had _nothing_ to be sorry for "That must have _sucked_.

"How could Fury bring you back?" Pietro asked.

"A serum derived from alien biology. But, it's all destroyed now. Which is good; it had catastrophic side effects for most people."

Something in the way she said it alerted Wanda that there was more to this.

"Most people?"

"Your turn," Maria said, Wanda frowned; she'd have to find out later, after Pietro explained.

"We were ten, having dinner with our parents when the first shell hit, the floor falling away underneath them. We hid under a bed, before the second shell dropped. But, it didn't go off, and we were covered in rubble, able to see the shell that said Stark on the side. And as they tried to rescue us, the rubble would shift and we would think that it would set it off. We waited for two days for Stark to kill us."

Wanda watched as Maria radiated horror, before she finally spoke.

"… I remember that," She admitted quietly after a moment.

"What do you mean?" Wanda asked, frowning.

"I felt it."

"I suppose we should apologize for that," Pietro said "Then we'll be even on the giving pain to the others by no fault of our own."

"I accept," Maria said, her lip twitching slightly "So, you two are, what, twenty-three?"

Wanda felt her heart hurt slightly.

"Yes. You remember what age you were when it happened?"

"I know I _look_ twelve, but jeez."

Did she not think she was beautiful?

… Wanda would have to return to that.

"You misunderstand; it was bad enough that you remember exactly when it happened?"

"That was the _first_ time I felt something through the bond. No one could figure out what was wrong with me until they took me to a doctor. Even after that they made me see a psychiatrist."

Oh, _oh_.

Was it that bad on her side of the bond?

"… You didn't realize what it was?" Pietro asked.

"I was _four_."

Wanda felt her heart stop.

Seventeen.

She was _seventeen_.

Of course, if Wanda had _thought_ about it, it would've been abundantly clear that she was seventeen.

But, she hadn't...

How _dare_ the Avengers use her?

She was only just out of childhood. Only starting womanhood. She could've been stolen away so young because of Stark and the Avengers.

"What?" Maria asked, frowning.

"You're… You're _seventeen_?" Pietro said quietly.

"Yeah, so?"

"And they make you _fight_?"

Pietro's voice seemed almost far away to Wanda, who was furious, but…

Her powers wanted to react, they wanted to destroy; she needed to calm down or else she would hurt Maria.

"They don't _make_ me; I choose to."

Wanda frowned; she chose the Avengers, she chose to put herself in danger.

"Why?"

"Why do I choose to protect others?" Maria laughed slightly "Because I was given these abilities for a reason. It's my responsibility to protect those weaker than me." Maria shrugged, smiling slightly "It's my _job_."

Wanda felt her breath be stolen away.

Maria was _good_.

Truthfully and wholeheartedly _good_.

A few moments later, they were going to where Ultron waited, and Wanda made a half-ass excuse to get away for a moment, Pietro with a knowing look in his eyes as he began to lead Maria away.

Wanda entered an empty examination room.

And let loose.

The red devoured everything; tearing apart anything it touched.

Maria was _good_.

Wanda was _not_.

.

After Wanda let her anger destroy, she returned to where her twin and Maria were waiting. At first, she just observed from afar;

They were a pretty couple.

Pietro was a head taller than her, and watched with soft eyes as she took in the facility, reaching out for a moment as if to touch her hair as her back was turned, but he seemed to abandon that idea. Maria turned back to him and offered him a bashful little smile that made him grin, making her blush.

And then, a _terrible_ thought dawned on Wanda;

What if Maria didn't _like_ women like that?

What if she only would ever want her as a friend?

The thought of never being able to hold Maria or kiss her made Wanda want to cry.

But, the worst thought had yet to occur;

What if she wanted her just as her friend, _but she took Pietro as a lover?_

For a moment, Wanda let the horrifying prospect run through her mind.

Pietro would apologize, but that wouldn't stop him from being with Maria. Wanda couldn't ask for Pietro not to be his soulmate, and she couldn't ask Maria to be attracted to her, she would only be able to try to pretend she was happy, to make Maria happy.

Wanda slowly made her way over to her twin and soulmate, nodding slightly at Pietro's questioning look.

"Come, Maria," Pietro murmured, going on one side of her while Wanda took the other, Pietro placing a hand on her lower back.

For a moment Wanda hesitated, before she softly placed her hand on Maria's upper back, the young girl glancing at her out of the corner of her eye but not saying anything.

Finally, they came to Ultron.

And Maria jerked back in fear.

For a moment, Wanda thought it was Ultron causing her distress, but, Maria was staring at the scepter in his hands, not him.

"What is it, My Love?" The affectionate words spilled from Wanda's lips before she could stop herself.

"T-That's the staff that stabbed me."

Wanda looked at the sharp scepter.

This was what took her lov- her soulmate away?

"It won't hurt you now," Pietro promised.

"I'm throwing that thing in a volcano first chance," Maria muttered.

 _I'm stabbing Loki through the heart with it_.

"All yours," Ultron threw the staff to her, the power source now in the new body.

"Thanks," Maria said sarcastically, not really noticing Wanda pull the spear out of her hands and throw it to the ground.

As Ultron began to upload himself, Wanda absentmindedly read him, more interested in the freckles on Maria's neck.

Before she saw it.

Death.

Death everywhere.

Destruction caused by Ultron.

Everyone would be _dead_.

Wanda cried out, only later realizing that Maria had grabbed her as well as Pietro.

"What is it?" Maria asked

"I can see his mind. I can see his plan."

"I will give humanity a chance," Ultron said.

"And then you'll destroy them."

They needed to get away.

They needed to get _Maria_ away.

Wanda allowed the blinds fall from Dr. Cho's eyes, giving them a distraction.

Pietro scooped them both up and _ran._

.

"We had a clear shot, why did we run?" Maria demanded, Wanda feeling her heart being warmed by Maria's conviction.

"We won't risk you," Pietro answered.

"So you'll just risk the entirety of humankind instead?"

Wanda grabbed her forearms softly, Maria's eyes widening as she noticed the pain.

"We lost you once. We won't do it again."

 _We failed you once. We won't do it again_.

.

Wanda gave a soft smile as Maria giggled; Pietro had pressed a kiss to her cheek before handing her an apple with a flourish.

 _Pretty, pretty couple._

"Is there something wrong?"

Wanda frowned at her young soulmate, now stood in front of her, Pietro a little ways off getting something to eat.

"No, no, why?"

"You're acting kind of strange," Maria said shrugging.

"Is strange bad?" Wanda asked, a tint of sadness in her voice making Maria huff.

"Not _that_ kind of strange. Sad strange."

"I am not sad," Wanda promised, smiling at Maria who nodded and turned away, before she turned back around to face her.

"I don't believe you… Are you, um…?"

Maria looked out into the distance before turning back to Wanda and speaking quickly.

"Are you disappointed in me?"

"What?" Wanda asked, recoiling.

"Are you disappointed that I'm your soulmate?" Maria asked "Because I get it if you are."

Wanda felt her jaw drop.

 _Who made her think she wasn't worth it?_

"Maria, I am _not_ disappointed," Wanda promised, taking a tentative step forward and sighing "I thought…"

"You thought?" Maria pushed.

"You are very young, you might not know," Wanda said softly.

"I'm not _that_ young; know what?"

"Maria… Do you… Do you feel romantic affection for other women?"

Maria blinked at her slowly, Wanda feeling a pit of dread settling in her stomach.

"No."

Wanda looked down; feeling the sting of rejection, the hurt she felt for once not igniting the energy.

In fact, the energy couldn't feel any cooler;

It felt _cold_.

The icy tendrils of her powers seemed to wrap around her veins, making her feel frozen and empty inside.

Everything seemed a little darker now as Wanda herself grew numb.

"I only feel romantic affection for you."

Wanda looked up in surprise, her heart completely still as she took in Maria's smile.

"You're silly."

Maria moved closer and softly kissed Wanda's cheek, the corner of her mouth meeting the corner of Wanda's mouth.

She felt heat course through her body, originating from the spot where Maria's lips had pressed on her skin gently, reheating her blood and restarting her heart.

Her powers were _burning_.

But, they didn't want to destroy…

They wanted to _create_.

.

"I'm sorry we can't get you more," Wanda said, referring to the apple Maria had finished.

"It's fine," Maria promised, smiling slightly.

"No, it's not," Wanda frowned "We should be able to provide for you."

"Jeez, I said it was fine, Angel Face."

Wanda spun around, nearly slapping a man in the face.

"Sorry," She said, the man rolling his eyes and going on his way.

"What? Am I not allowed to give you pet name?" Maria asked, before frowning "I've been calling Pietro Baby. Is Angel Face okay? It's not demeaning, is it?"

Wanda wrapped her arm around Maria's waist and softly kissed her temple.

"… I take it it's okay?"

.

"So, on the run, not _nearly_ as interesting as I'd thought it'd be," Maria said conversationally.

"Be thankful," Wanda replied, softly squeezing her lover's hand as they continued to weave through the crowd.

"We wouldn't have to be on the run if you guys would just take me to the tower," Maria said.

Wanda felt herself stiffen; the thought of taking Maria to where the Avengers were was _abhorrent_ to her.

"No," Pietro said.

"I'm really not digging this whole 'make choices for Maria' thing you guys got going on," Maria complained, Wanda sighing; why couldn't she see it? They just wanted her safe.

"The farther away we are from the Avengers, the safer you'll be," Pietro said.

"My safety isn't at the forefront of my mind right now," Maria said.

Wanda felt her stomach clench; did she not _care_ what happened to herself?

"It should be," Wanda said.

"So, we're just going to stick our heads in the sand?" Maria asked "Hope everyone else takes care of it?"

"If that is what it takes," Pietro said.

She just wanted her safe.

Why couldn't she accept that and let them protect her?

And then Maria started to giggle.

Wanda felt her heart warm at Maria's laughter; it was a melodious, bubbly laugh.

"What is it?" Wanda asked.

"You two don't get how this works."

"What do you mean?" Pietro asked, cocking his head.

"Once you're in, you're _in_. There's no going back from what you two started," Maria smiled and shrugged "Fine, let's not go to the tower. We don't need to find trouble. Because, trouble is going to find us."

Wanda frowned and leaned to kiss Maria's cheek; she liked to give physical affection now that she knew she wouldn't be rejected.

.

When trouble did find them, Maria turned to them.

"Please."

It was said with a quiet desperation that made Wanda's heart ache.

"I'm not asking you two to forgive my dad, or even to fight, but please let me help them."

She cared so _much_.

But, they couldn't let her fight; they couldn't let her be put into that much danger.

The twins exchanged a look; coming to a silent understanding.

"Stay here."

Pietro then swept Wanda up and ran them to the train, leaving a confused Maria behind.

.

Captain America.

Wanda assumed she would hate him; a man that wears the symbols of the capitalist dogs that ruined her life.

But…

She saw his mind, his heart…

He was a good man.

And even while he choked her, she could only feel pleased that he cared that much about Maria.

"Steve!"

He turned his head to look, and dropped Wanda to pull Maria into a hug.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Maria, what's going on?"

As Maria explained about Ultron, Wanda took another peek in Rogers's mind.

She scanned through, wincing when she saw Bucky…

This man…

The Avengers seemed like brutes, but, this man…

She could follow him.

She could trust him and follow him into battle.

She understood how Maria felt now.

"Maria, what _else_ is going on?"

Maria motioned for Pietro to join her, Wanda's twin appearing beside her.

"Show him."

Pietro rolled up his sleeve and Steve stared.

"He's…"

"… Wanda is as well."

"Fuck."

.

The trip to Stark's tower was awkward.

But, Rogers didn't sneer at them, or try to keep Maria away; he didn't even seem uncomfortable with their affection for each other.

.

"Maria!"

Wanda felt her powers insistent against her skin, wanting to pull Stark away from what was _hers_.

"What the _hell_ are those two doing here?"

It grew hotter against her skin as she glared at Stark.

"They're here to help," Rogers said, Wanda feeling surprised; he was vouching for them.

"And you trust them? After everything they've done?"

"They've given me compelling reasons why I should."

"Oh, yeah, that's real reassuring. How do we know they aren't just playing us before helping Ultron 'Save the World.'"

Wanda put all her effort into holding in her energy, meaning her mouth was free to do as it liked.

"We should not be the ones your team worries about," Wanda said "Ultron can't see the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Where do you think he gets that from?"

"Remind me again why we're not pitching these two off of the roof?" Stark asked.

"Dad, that's enough."

 _She's protecting you._

"What did they do to you?" Stark asked.

"What're you talking about?"

"Last I checked you hated being the damsel in distress. Then they came and _kidnapped_ you, and you, what, don't mind?"

"I'm sorry that I realized that for the greater good I needed to put my hurt pride on the backburner."

Wanda felt slightly guilty; did they hurt her feelings by taking her?

"Hurt _pride?_ Nothing else?" Stark demanded "You're not proving to me that witchy didn't mess with your brain."

Wanda felt ugly anger; how _dare_ Stark insinuate she would ever alter perfection?

"I didn't warp her mind in the slightest," Wanda said "I _only_ put her to sleep."

"Because you would be the one to tell the truth about that?" Banner said.

"Tony, she's fine," Rogers said.

Again, he was vouching for them.

"How do you know that?" Stark asked "She was with them for a while."

"Wanda didn't mess with my head! And I don't know how to convince you otherwise," Maria snapped.

"It's Wanda know?" Banner asked

"That's what I'm talking about; something happened that you're not telling us."

Maria didn't reply, just pursed her lips and looked away.

Stark turned on them.

"What did you do?"

Even though Wanda would never use Maria as a way to hurt Stark, she couldn't help but to feel slightly smug.

 _Your daughter belongs to the meaningless poor you thought were beneath you and thought you could kill without consequence._

"We didn't do a thing," Pietro said, his tone reflecting Wanda's feelings.

"Did you hurt her?"

"Not in the slightest," Wanda said

Wanda almost wanted to gloat. She wanted to gloat about how one day Maria would take them as lovers, how one day, with her consent; Maria would carry Pietro's children.

How Maria was _theirs_.

"Stay away from Maria."

Stark had no place telling them that.

"Not going to happen," Pietro said, Stark noticing the edge to his voice.

"… Do you have a _thing_ for my daughter?" Stark asked, laughing "Sorry to break it to you, Speedy, she's already taken."

"By us."

 _Sweet, sweet revenge._

Stark paled as he looked at Wanda's wrist, marking her as Maria's.

"Now's not the time for this," Rogers spoke up.

"I'm sorry?" Stark asked, slightly frenzied "Now's not the time to address that people who want to kill me are my daughter's soulmates?"

"Not when there are more pressing matters, like, the world ending," Maria said.

"The world can survive another five minutes while you explain to me why you didn't tell me in the first place."

Wanda felt herself shift, preparing to pull Stark apart if he went too far with Maria.

"Because, I knew it would throw you off your game. You need to focus on what's important!"

"The fact that my daughter is being a whore for two homicidal maniacs isn't important?!"

 _KILL STARK!_

For a moment, Wanda was on the verge, but she held back.

 _Maria wouldn't like it_.

Still, she saw red; Stark could call her and Pietro _anything_ he wanted, he could call _them_ whores.

But, how _dare_ he call Maria a whore?

Once Wanda had calmed down enough, she noticed; everyone else in the room had frozen as well.

"… All my life I thought you were one of the only people to never call me that… but now I see you just weren't saying it to my face."

"Maria…"

Maria shook her head and stepped back, right in between them.

Wanda placed a hand on her back, Maria needed support, and glared at Stark; she also needed protection.

"Bruce, bring me up to speed," Maria said, shifting the topic as Wanda rubbed circles into her back.

"… There's been someone blocking Ultron. Tony went to have a look and… It's JARVIS."

Whatever this information was, it seemed to surprise Maria.

"… Jarvis? But, how?"

"Turns out, Ultron didn't kill all of him."

"And now that we have the body," Stark said "We can put JARVIS into it."

Maybe Stark was just an idiot.

"That seems like a bad idea," Maria said, agreeing with Wanda.

"What, why?"

"You're going to take the chance that he won't turn out just like Ultron?" Rogers asked, Wanda's respect for the man growing.

"This is JARVIS."

"Dad, you _know_ I love Jarvis probably more than anyone else, but we can't take that risk," Maria said, before looking over at Pietro, who ran and disconnected some wires as she wanted.

And then the ground gave out under him.

Before Wanda could do anything, Banner grabbed her.

"Go ahead, piss me off."

"Dad, this ridiculous!" Maria yelled.

And then Thor showed up.

Wanda would be having words with him about Loki once this was over.

Thor seemed to bring the body to life, the body going flying before he stopped in front of a window, Thor making them wait.

He turned towards them.

"I'm sorry, I forgot myself."

"Jarvis," Maria said.

"Maria."

Maria seemed shell-shocked.

"… I'm sorry, Maria, but I'm not quite Jarvis anymore."

"Then who are you?"

"… A Vision of the future… Vision."

Wanda tried to focus on the conversation, but…

She could see similarities between Maria's mind and Vision's.

They both had the beauty Wanda had admired, but, Maria had such a deep layer of sadness that Wanda couldn't help but marvel at its intertwining with kindness.

"How can we work with you if there's always the possibility of you turning?"

"I can see into his head; tell you if he's telling the truth."

Stark said something Wanda ignored in favor of reading Maria's reactions to Vision;

She loved him.

She loved him _deeply_.

But, not in a way that would cause jealously for Wanda.

She loved him like a father.

"I don't want to kill Ultron. He's unique... and he's in pain. But that pain will roll over the Earth. So he must be destroyed: every form he's built, every trace of his presence on the 'net. We have to act now, and not one of us can do it without the others. Maybe I am a monster. I don't think I'd know if I were one. I'm not what you are and not what you intended. So there may be no way to make you trust me."

"But we need to go."

If Vision was worthy.

Then Maria was doubly so.

.

Maria was speaking with Vision while Pietro and Wanda prepared to leave.

Well, Pietro grabbed some clothes to change into while Wanda watched Maria.

Until Pietro threw a red jacket at Wanda, making her jump slightly.

And then, as Wanda pulled it on, Maria suddenly ran out of the room.

And she returned with a new outfit and…

For a moment Wanda desperately wished that they had time before the battle, because Maria…

She wanted to go to bed with her.

And she might not get the chance after this.

But, there wasn't enough time for that.

But, there was enough for kisses.

.

Wanda knew that Maria would be fighting no matter what they said; it was in her nature.

Pietro asked, nevertheless, for her to stay, but she firmly said no.

"Then, may we ask for something else?" Pietro asked.

"Depends, what?"

"A kiss," Wanda said hopefully, Maria's cheeks coloring slightly.

"Who first?"

.

Wanda let her brother kiss her first, smiling slightly as she felt Maria's emotions as Pietro had to bend down to kiss her.

Maria threaded her fingers in Pietro's hair and he gave a shudder, pulling her tighter against him.

Wanda sighed, sending Pietro a soft reminder that they couldn't go farther.

They pulled apart and Wanda allowed Maria to catch her breath.

Maria smiled sweetly at Wanda, and moved towards her.

Wanda tucked a piece of Maria's hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek.

And Maria placed her lips against hers.

If she'd felt like she was burning when Maria had kissed her cheek, she was on _fire_ now.

Wanda pulled her closer, wrapping her arms around Maria's waist and holding her tight.

The energy was pressing so hard against her skin, that Wanda couldn't hold it back.

When it flowed out, Wanda was frightened, expecting Maria to be torn apart, but…

The energy _liked_ her.

Maria slipped her tongue into her mouth and Wanda shuddered.

After a moment, Wanda pulled away, Maria's chest rising quickly in an enticing way.

"Um, please don't die," Maria said "I really don't want you two die."

 _She wants you._

"We won't if you don't," Pietro teased.

"Deal."

Rogers called for Maria and Wanda sighed in annoyance, Maria smiling as she went to go see what he wanted.

And then she back tracked.

"Uh… I love you. I love you both."

Every bit of Wanda felt like it was on fire, and for a moment she couldn't even move.

 _She loves you_.

"I love you too," Wanda murmured, reaching out to comb her fingers through Maria's hair to feed her want to touch her.

"I love you," Pietro said.

"Right, good, I do need to go see what Steve wants, though," Maria said, smiling before she walked away.

"Did you _mean_ to let your powers out while you were kissing Maria?"

"I couldn't help it," Wanda replied, Pietro sighing.

"They won't hurt her, yes?"

"They just want to be near her."

.

Stark glared at them as they took the seats on either side of Maria on the Quinjet.

Again, Wanda hated to use Maria.

But, she couldn't help herself.

Wanda placed her hand on Maria's thigh.

Maria didn't say anything, just took Wanda's hand in hers, squeezing it lightly.

Wanda managed to stop herself from smirking at Stark.

.

"You step out those doors, you're an Avenger."

.

They'd agreed to split up; being with each other would be too much of a distraction.

But…

She wanted Maria and Pietro by her side.

And while she sat in that dingy house, she knew why.

Wanda gave a shuddery gasp; this was all her fault.

If she hadn't let Stark take the scepter…

Who was she kidding; she was _scared_.

Of dying, of others dying, of Pietro dying, of Maria…

How did Maria do it?

She dove headfirst into fighting; didn't hesitate once.

How was she not scared?

The moment Wanda thought this; she felt it through the bond.

Maria _was_ scared.

Maria was _terrified_.

But, she was being brave… Brave for others, brave for Pietro, brave for _her_.

… Maybe, she couldn't be brave for herself… But, she could be for Maria.

Wanda steeled herself and stood right in front of the door.

Time to join Maria.

Time to become an Avenger.

.

"We're all clear," Clint said into the coms.

"We are not clear. We are _very_ not clear!"

The frenzy in Rogers's voice made Wanda's stomach clench; Maria was with him. She needed to get to-.

Pietro sped up, picking her up before running off.

"Keep up old man!"

Wanda smiled.

There'd been moments, growing up, where she begrudged her brother.

She wanted their soulmate to herself.

Why couldn't Pietro just have his own?

But, as she grew older, she realized how much she cared for Pietro.

There was no one she'd rather share Maria with.

And the rest of her life.

.

Wanda saw out of her corner of her eye, her brother glare at the man who shot him in the arm.

"Uh, Pietro and Wanda? Did either of you just hurt your left arm?"

Wanda frowned at Maria's question over the com.

"I just got shot by some…" Pietro trailed off and muttered some swears that made Wanda blush.

"Hold on, could you _feel_ that?" Clint asked over the coms

"Proximity mixed with strong pain, maybe? I don't know. This isn't the best time to discuss this. Just, try not to get shot again," Maria said, Wanda frowning that Maria had to feel the pain.

"Well, that completely changes my previous strategy of _wanting_ them to shoot me," Pietro muttered, Wanda sending him a dirty look; not even her brother was allowed to disrespect Maria.

.

Wanda knew what this was coming to.

They would find Maria before it happened.

Last moments shared with her soulmate was a better end than any that Wanda could dream of.

.

"Glad you like the view, Romanov, It's about to get better."

.

While her brother asked if this was SHIELD, Wanda couldn't help feel slightly guilty.

SHIELD's ideals were good, their heart was in the right place, Rogers's heart was in the right place.

That's why Maria followed them; she saw that.

.

They all met at the church where this had all started.

Wanda raked her eyes over Maria; a few scratches and a little ashy but nothing serious.

Wanda cupped her cheek, smiling slightly as the young woman leaned into her touch.

.

"Like the old man said; Together."

.

 _"You're better than this, Wanda, always remember that," He mother had whispered to her one night "You're going to get out of this life and you are going to do something great."_

.

Someone needed to make sure no droids got to the center.

Wanda could do this.

She could do this for Maria.

"I can stay too," Maria offered making Wanda want to grimace; Maria needed to be safe.

"Get on a shuttle, My Love, I'll join you soon."

Wanda smiled as Maria's cheeks colored prettily before the young woman squeezed her hand and left with Rogers.

She needed to protect the center at least until Maria was safe.

.

"Get the people on the boats," Wanda told her brother who sighed "And make sure Maria is aboard one."

"I'm not going to leave you here."

"I can handle this."

Wanda blasted a droid, knowing her brother just wanted to protect her.

She would be fine, though.

"Come back for me when everyone else is off, not before."

"Hmm." Wanda rolled her eyes, Pietro was annoyed.

"You understand?"

Pietro stopped and turned to his sister, smiling.

"You know, I'm twelve minutes older than you."

Wanda laughed softly.

"Go."

.

Everything had been fine.

Until she felt it.

The energy burned.

And she didn't hold it back.

It destroyed every droid as she dropped to her knees and screamed.

 _He's gone._

.

Ultron must pay.

.

"Wanda, if you stay here, you'll die."

"I just did. Do you know how it felt?"

She tore out the closest thing Ultron would ever have to a heart.

"It felt like that."

And then the island started to fall.

 _She'd failed._

She began to fly up in the air, feeling sick as she realized that how she and Pietro had felt when Maria had… Maria was about to experience it for the _both_ of them.

"Maria needs you."

Wanda looked up in surprise as Vision grabbed her and began to fly.

.

He was already cold.

Wanda couldn't help but read him, finding nothing.

She slowly reached out, running a hand through his hair and cupping his cheek.

"When I said to go," Wanda said, tears streaming down her cheeks "I didn't mean this far."

Wanda dropped her head to Pietro's chest, sobs shaking her entire body, her powers cold inside of her.

 _It wasn't supposed to be like this._

They were supposed to have a life with Maria; supposed to bond, and have children, and be happy together.

All three of them.

After a moment, Wanda steeled herself and stood up, cupping her brother's cheek one last time.

"I'll take care of her," She promised through her tears.

After a few more moments, she wiped her tears away and turned to leave.

What Vision had said was true; Maria needed her.

.

Maria was asleep on a hospital bed.

"What happened to her?" Wanda asked, her voice strained as she ran her hand through Maria's hair.

"I knocked her out when it happened," Rogers said, sounding apologetic.

"It's for the best," Wanda agreed, pulling up one of the hard plastic chairs to sit on beside Maria's bed "Go… Rest. I will watch over her."

Maria's face was pained even in her sleep.

Wanda knew the feeling.

"I promise I will watch over you. I will keep you safe," She said, tears running down her cheeks.

"No one will ever hurt you again, My Love, I promise."

Wanda leaned forward and kissed Maria's forehead.

And then Fury burst into the room.

"Can you wake her up?"

"Yes. But, it's better if she-."

"Wake her up," Fury commanded, but something about his tone a voice made Wanda obey.

Wanda hissed as Maria jolted awake.

It _hurt_.

All of their feelings were mixing together and it _hurt_.

As Maria scrambled to look at her wrist, Fury _slapped_ her.

Wanda moved forward; how _dare_ he?

But, Hill placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a look.

"I've seen far too many people after they lose their soulmate, and I know that right now you want to curl up into a ball and never move again. But, you need to stay here," Fury yelled as Maria breathing sped up and her eyes began to get teary "If you retreat into yourself right now, you're going to miss your chance. I need you to stay as Maria Stark; don't become a shell."

Wanda's heart _ached_ as Maria seemed to almost have a panic attack.

"… I don't think I'm Maria Stark anymore," Maria finally spoke, her voice hoarse "… I think I'm Maria Maximoff… What chance?"

"Dr. Cho's machine can rebuild the tissue that was destroyed in Pietro."

"Yeah, so? He'd still be…" Maria took a deep breathe, Wanda moving to grab her hand.

"Yeah, you'd need some kind of miracle drug to bring him back."

 _The drug they gave Maria?_

"… But, all of the GH325 was destroyed."

"True… All of it _except_ for what's flowing through the veins of three specific people."

Maria looked over at Hill with wide eyes, Wanda gathering the idea from her mind.

"If we can give him a blood transfusion using your blood, it _might_ work."

"Why are you phrasing this like a question? Yes, let's do it," Maria said, hopping up, closely followed by Wanda.

"There is a drawback," Hill said, looking down "The amount of blood we would need to give him is… a potentially life threatening amount for you."

"I don't care."

It was like a stab in Wanda's heart.

"I do."

"We all do," Fury added "You're important to these people. You can't just throw around your life like there aren't consequences."

"I can't… I can't just _not_ try."

Wanda sighed at the pain in Maria's voice.

What if this didn't work?

.

"How are we doing, Maria?" A doctor asked as she continued to draw blood.

"I'm okay," Maria muttered as Wanda combed her fingers through her hair.

Maria was lying down on a hospital bed, propped up on a few pillows, with Wanda lying on her side beside her, making sure they didn't draw too much.

"Almost done," A doctor promised.

"Alright," Maria replied, smiling a sad little smile at Wanda, who leaned forward to kiss Maria softly.

.

 _It didn't work_.

"Can I have a moment?"

Wanda nodded and left to stand outside the door.

 _What now?_

They needed to get away.

With or without the others permission, Wanda was going to take Maria far away, to somewhere quiet and calm.

Somewhere where Wanda could take care of her.

She _had_ to take care of her.

Then Wanda felt a jolt of something over the bond.

And a jolt in her own heart.

When Wanda threw open the door, she found her brother _alive_.

And seeming slightly confused as Maria covered his face with kisses.

.

Hours later would find all three of them laying in Pietro's hospital bed, the girls curled up to his chest, and Maria having drifted off a few hours ago.

"… I'm sorry, I just…" Pietro said "I couldn't live knowing that I'd let him die… I wouldn't be able to look Maria in the eye."

" _Never_ do that again," Wanda replied "You didn't see Maria… _I_ could hardly look her in the eye."

"I'm sorry," Pietro repeated.

"I thought we would never have the life we looked forward too. That Maria would always feel the pain we felt when she was gone."

"I'm here, I'm here, I'm sorry."

.

Months passed and Maria proved her perfection in Wanda's eyes.

"We should ask Maria to bond with us."

Wanda raised an eyebrow at her brothers hurried question.

She knew how Pietro ached for Maria, she did as well. Pietro, though, was more impulsive; more impatient.

"Do you remember what Mama told us?"

Pietro frowned before it dawned on him.

"A gift… We need to bring her a gift."

.

Rogers, _Steve_ (he'd insisted), gave them a funny look as they explained why they needed some money.

"That's a little more than I'd like to know, but, yes; I'll give you some… Also, just take the day after off, okay?"

.

"What are we going to get?" Pietro asked, a hoody hiding his identity

"Not sure," Wanda replied.

The twins moseyed around the mall, Wanda smiling as her brother got excited over the amount of food that this place had.

"A ring?" Pietro offered.

"She fights with her hands," Wanda replied, Pietro nodding.

Wanda paused as she looked at a display case in front of a jewelry store.

"Pietro."

Her brother tore his eyes away from Victoria's Secret, opening his mouth to say something.

"No," Wanda said, Pietro closing his mouth and pouting "... Later."

Pietro smiled before coming over to where she was standing, looking in the display case as well and smiling widely.

"Perfect."

.

She was nervous.

Maria bounced around her room, the twins watching her with soft eyes.

She'd let Wanda slip the necklace around her neck, smiling at her happily.

"Um… Since… Since we can't get married, I could, um, change my last name," Maria offered "You know; _legally_."

Wanda's breath caught;

 _Maria Maximoff_.

"You'd do that for us?" Pietro asked, mirroring Wanda's surprise.

"Of course I would," Maria replied "I _will_."

Wanda smiled before Maria ducked her head.

"Are you alright, My Love?" Wanda asked softly.

"Yeah… It's just…" Maria looked away and bit her lip for a moment "… I could hurt you. I could _kill_ one of you on accident, and I'm not sure how I can trust myself to…"

Oh, she was scared for _them_.

"Did you know that humans don't use all of our strength?" Maria frowned at Wanda's question "Our bodies stop us from using all of it to keep us from hurting ourselves."

Wanda lifted her hand to ask for permission, Maria immediately moving towards it, making Wanda's heart flutter; _she trusts you_.

Maria bit her lip, Wanda and Pietro exchanging a look.

"… Are you frightened?" Pietro asked softly "Because, we don't have to now."

"No, I want this;" Maria replied "I'm just a little nervous."

"Are you _sure_?"

The thought of making Maria do anything that she didn't want to do made Wanda feel sick.

"Yes."

.

Wanda could see it now.

Maria loved them.

Oh, she _loved_ them.

And she would _always_ love them.

No matter what.

And she was all Wanda would ever need.

.

Wanda fought to keep herself neutral.

But, she couldn't help it.

If Wanda _ever_ saw Theresa, she would hurt her just as much as she had hurt her lover.

.

The meadow.

It was _real_.

Maria smiled enticingly at her as she ran her fingers through Pietro's hair.

"Are you _sure_ everything's okay?"

Wanda looked over at her _living_ brother, who had his head on Maria's lap and was humming contently as she ran her fingers through his hair.

She looked around at the meadow full of white flowers surrounding them.

And finally she looked at her soulmate, Maria Maximoff, who was wearing a blue dress and a slightly concerned expression.

Wanda smiled and leaned into kiss her.

After a moment she pulled away, smiling softly in response to Maria's beaming smile.

"Everything is _perfect_."

.

.

.

Wanda looked at herself in the mirror;

Stark had given her a suit.

Perhaps as a peace offering, perhaps Steve had told him to make it, either way…

It was red, and showed off a bit of cleavage.

"Whoa."

Wanda turned to face Maria, who was staring at her with a shocked expression.

"What do you think?"

"You look _amazing_."

Wanda felt her cheeks heat up as she turned to face the mirror again, smiling as Maria's arms wrapped around her waist from behind and her lover rested her chin on her shoulder.

"You do; you look like a badass."

Wanda leaned her head on Maria's as she looked at the two women in the mirror.

She was so different than before; no longer full of hate, no longer unsure of herself, no longer afraid.

She was strong.

She was powerful.

And she loved Maria with every fiber of her being.

 _While I live,_

 _And until I die,_

 _I am an Avenger._


End file.
